A gentle, damp cloth or a fast shower with lukewarm water can be used to clean your monstera’s leaves, especially the oldest ones on the plant, to eliminate any dust accumulation.
Only two fertilizer applications will be required for your monstera throughout the entire year: one in early spring and one in late summer.
Your monstera plant will eventually develop aerial roots from its stem. These aerial roots are there to support the plant; do not cut them off. If any aerial roots are too short to support a climbing plant, train them back into the soil to absorb more nutrients when they are long enough.
Can I remove the air roots from Monstera?
Your Monstera naturally has aerial roots. No need to chop them off, please. As long as you use a clean, sharp blade and cut them back if they are blocking the path, it is acceptable.
The main plant of your Monstera won’t suffer if the aerial roots are cut off. These roots are designed to ascend, not to absorb nourishment.
For additional information on what to do with the aerial roots of your Monstera, keep reading!
Can I plant aerial roots of Monstera in soil?
The functions of Monstera aerial roots are well known to you. We are now faced with this crucial question. What should you do with these aerial roots—cut them, let them alone?
Because the aerial roots of Monstera are not ugly, I avoid cutting them. The plant now resembles itself in the wild considerably more thanks to them. However, I do this when they are quite long and sprouting everywhere:
- I reroute the aerial roots of Monstera into the soil so that they can aid in water and nutrient absorption, just like they would in the wild. However, since the stem of your plant is still in tact, it is not required.
- Attach them to the stem: You can attach the aerial roots to the stem or moss pole using twist ties or gardening tape. Particularly if they are really long, it helps to make them less unruly. You may easily alter the leaves on a bushy plant to disguise the stems.
- Let them develop: I frequently leave them alone because they don’t bother me much and this helps to create the impression of a naturalistic tropical rainforest. Simply make sure you have adequate room.
My approaches won’t be liked by everyone. You can cut the aerial roots of Monstera if you belong to that group. Your plant won’t suffer any damage from them. To avoid stressing your plant, however, we advise pruning roughly 30% at once. You can choose the very long, unkempt ones and discard the shorter ones.
Use razor-sharp, disinfected pruning scissors to remove these adventitious roots. Rubing alcohol with a concentration of 70 to 90 percent is ideal for cleaning gardening implements. You don’t want to infect your plants with diseases.
How do I handle the aerial roots on my Monstera when I repot it?
The aerial roots of your Monstera can be used for a few different reasons as they grow. Although they won’t harm your plant and are actually a sign that your Monstera is growing very well, they can become sloppy, lengthy, and stringy, which may not be to your taste.
You might think about pruning back your Monstera’s aerial roots if they start to develop wild-appearing roots that are growing out of the pot and onto the ground. The plant won’t suffer if the aerial roots are cut close to where they connect to the stem. Be prepared for them to regrow, though.
As climbers, monsteras will always look for ways to support themselves. If the aerial roots disturb you, you might want to look at other plants that can survive without supports, such pothos, which can trail or climb a support.
Giving your Monstera something to cling onto is an excellent alternative if you don’t mind the aerial roots but want to encourage it. The most suggested option is a moss totem or pole, a support coated with coco coir or sphagnum moss where the Monstera can cling and eventually grow up. These can be made or bought.
Once everything is in place, all that needs to be done to assist the plant’s aerial roots to adhere is to identify the thickest, most mature stems and gently tie them to the pole. To keep the pole moist, you’ll need to spray it from time to time. This will replicate the search the Monstera would make while climbing a tree in the wild.
Additionally, some Monstera owners weave the strongest aerial roots through the brand-new moss pole. It is possible to do this, but it is not necessary and most likely won’t have a significant impact on how quickly your Monstera adapts to its new support system.
You might also just disregard the aerial roots. They are a sign that your Monstera is most likely ready to begin climbing, and your plant won’t suffer if you let it. Many people who possess Monsteras simply tuck stray aerial roots around the plant to prevent it from appearing too wild. In the end, how you grow your Monstera will depend on your personal preferences and long-term objectives.
Can aerial roots be cut?
The top 5 suggestions for dealing with these roots are as follows:
- I frequently find them to be attractive, depending on the plant and the size of the roots. You can let them flourish if you share that sentiment. You are not need to spray them, although you are welcome to.
- They can also be planted in soil to continue serving their purpose.
- absorb nutrients and moisture
- Some feel them to be ugly. Feel free to cut them off if you’re one of them. The plant won’t be harmed by you. Cutting aerial roots won’t hurt your plant in any way, just like pruning earth roots won’t (and actually encourages root branching). Cut as near to the main stem as you can if you want to completely eliminate them. Although I don’t typically sanitize my pruning shears, doing so is the best practice because it lowers the likelihood that the incision will become infected. Rub alcohol or hydrogen peroxide are both suitable for sterilizing. Even though the aerial roots are extending too far, you might still like the way they look. If so, trim them and shorten them to fit your needs and the available area. Once more, you won’t do any harm to the plant. They will keep growing, so don’t be concerned.
- Root pruning has some exceptions, including orchids. Don’t cut the roots of orchids. Because they are epiphytes, orchids in the wild cling to trees with their aerial roots. Despite the fact that some of the orchid roots in our houses are buried in bark or sphagnum moss and others are floating in the air, all orchid roots are aerial in nature. Cutting an orchid’s aerial roots would result in the loss of roots that the plant needs to collect moisture and nutrients. Orchids frequently lack the length and density of roots that non-epiphytic plants do, and each healthy root will help the plant absorb moisture and grow stronger. Another justification for leaving orchid roots alone is because it’s thought that they can photosynthesize.
- Some people conceal aerial roots in another pot or place them in a vase with water. Although I personally don’t think this is a good idea because a new vase or pot takes up more room, you can certainly do it. The new vase or pot should allow the roots to absorb water. However, putting the roots in the same pot as the plant will produce the same results.
Should I soak the aerial roots of Monstera in water?
I’ve seen several sources advise you to put a bowl of water in the planter for your Monster deliciosa and trail its aerial roots in there. According to the theory, this is because aerial roots may actually absorb moisture. However, submerging them in water nonstop won’t likely accomplish much more than cause them to deteriorate and perhaps put your plant in risk.
However, you can frequently spray the aerial roots of your Monstera. Again, there is no scientific evidence that this makes a significant difference, but it won’t hurt. In addition, since these tropical plants prefer their surroundings to be moist, make sure the air humidity is not too low.
Please feel free to leave a comment below if you have any additional queries regarding Monstera aerial roots or if you would want to discuss your own interactions with these magnificent tropical houseplants.
Can roots be planted in the air?
An excellent example of roots you can plant is the aerial roots on houseplants. One of the most well-known examples of this can be seen on spider plants. Spider plants are frequently cultivated in hanging baskets, where they produce plantlets that dangle from peculiar, wiry stems that extend from the plant. There are numerous aerial roots on each plantlet. By cutting off the plantlets and placing them with their roots buried in the soil, you can propagate the plant.
Windowleaf plants are indoor plants that utilize aerial roots in a special way. Windowleaf vines climb trees in their natural environment, reaching high into the canopy of the rainforest. Aerial roots are produced, which spread outward until they touch the ground. The strong stems are held in place by the stiff roots, which serve as guy wires. These plants can be multiplied by cutting off a piece of stem just below an aerial root and planting it in a pot.
Some aerial root plants cannot be planted in soil. Epiphytes are plants that use the structural support of other plants to grow on them. The purpose of their aerial roots is to remain above ground, where they can collect nutrients from the air, surface water, and debris. An illustration of this kind of plant would be epiphytic orchids. When to water your epiphytic orchids depends on the color of the aerial roots. Aerial roots with little moisture are silvery gray in appearance, whereas those with lots of moisture have a green tint.
What are Monstera aerial roots?
Even indoors, Monstera deliciosa plants eventually have very long aerial roots. What do they do, exactly? Understanding how they fit into nature is crucial.
Simply put, aerial roots are plant roots that develop above the soil’s surface.
In the wild, Monstera deliciosa plants grow higher and more aerially to reach stronger light and to cling to tree trunks for support.
Outdoor aerial roots can cling to walls, trees, and other constructions. Watch the one below as it scales a wall.
Here is another illustration of a Monstera in the Cleveland Botanical Gardens climbing a tree.
What do you do with aerial roots on Monstera?
The thick, brown, cord-like aerial roots on my own plant grew so much that they piled up in a huge heap on the living room floor. My plant got difficult to rotate, so I just cut the roots back until they were no longer in contact with the ground.
Your plant won’t be harmed by this. Just keep in mind that more aerial roots will inevitably erupt, necessitating further trimming.
I don’t totally remove the aerial roots since I like the way they look. However, doing so won’t hurt your plant in any way.
Some may give them direction so they can begin to grow in the dirt in their pot. Although there is no danger in doing this—I myself don’t—doing so frequently enough can make it more difficult to repot your plant in the future.
People have also questioned whether they ought to put their Monstera aerial roots in tiny containers of water.
Although it is possible, it is not absolutely necessary. You don’t need to bother about watering or even misting your aerial roots if you use excellent watering techniques.
Can you propagate monstera aerial roots?
You cannot develop a new Monstera plant from merely an aerial root; I’m not sure where the idea comes from.
Starting with a cutting with a node will allow you to grow a new plant (where the leaf meets the vine). View the image below.
On my own Monstera deliciosa plant, you can see the developing “eye” where the arrow is in the photo above.
Simply cut the vine where the two red lines are, on either side of the node, and plant it either directly into moist potting soil or in water to root.
How can I train Monstera roots into a moss pole?
Although you don’t have to train your Monstera on a moss pole, you may just fasten your vine to the pole.
The aerial root that is growing into the moss is visible above where I tied the vine with a green twisty tie in the image below.
It will be simpler for the aerial roots to develop into the moss if you water your moss post.
When Monstera develops aerial roots, what does that mean?
The presence of aerial roots on your monstera plant is natural and not a sign that anything is wrong. The monstera plant is a climbing plant in its natural environment.
The plant’s climbing behavior is only partially manifested in the form of aerial roots. They are there to aid in its expansion. They may be an aesthetic nightmare, but they’re not dangerous.
Should you remove your monstera plant’s aerial roots? or just let them be? I’ll address all of your concerns about what to do with the aerial roots of the monstera plant below.